Tracker-board for automatic musical instruments.



P. WELIN. TRACKER BOARD FOB.-AUTOlIATIG MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

PPLOATION FILED BEPT.I'6, 1904. RENEWIJD KAY 22, 1909.

Patented Jan, 1,1910.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

PETER WELIN, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO KRELL AUTO-GRAND PIANO CO. F AMERICA, OF CONNERSVILLE, INDIANA, A

CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

TRACKER-BOARD FOR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

y Application filed September 6, 1904, Serial No.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1,' PETER VETJN, a citizen of the United Statesrcsiding at Worcester', in the county of Ivorcester and State of 'Massachusetts have invented a new and useful Tracker-Board for Automatic Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specilication.

:This invention relates to a tracker-board construction to be used in an automatic musical instrument to coperate with a perforated music sheet.

The especial object of this invention is to provide a tracker-board construction which 'will not warp or crack` and which has accuployed for automatic musical instrun'ients are ordinarily composed of a number of layers of wood which are glued or stuck together.' In one ordinary form of construction, a tracker-lmard comprises a skeleton center-piece having the channels sawed therein from opposite sides; the side pieces which close the channels, and a top plate .which contains perforations to cooperate with a music sheet, these parts being glued together to form the vcompleted structure.

In practice, the use of a composite wooden tracker-board is objectionable on account of the liability oi2 the wood to check and warp, and especially for the reason that under certain climatic conditions the glued together joints are liable to break open. To overcome this objection, it has been proposed to einploy metal faced tracker-boards, and to accomplish this purj'iose it has heretofore been the custom to drill or cut out the metallic face-plate ofthe tracker-boa rd by hand, and it has also been usual to connect the metal tubes to the metallic tracker-board plate by Specification of Letters Patent.

223,355. Renewed May 22, 1909. Serial N0. 497,716.

brazing or soldering the tubes thereto. Metallic tracker-boards. as thus constructed, are objectionable on account of the lack of uniformity with which the holes are drilled therein, and also for the reason that the brazed or soldered joints with ,the small pipes are readily broken or caused to leak. To overcome these objections, I have provided a tracker-board construction yhaving a metallic top piece which is cast out of a single piece of metal having tracker-board perforations formed during the casting operation.

By casting the tracker-board perforations, each tracker-board is made to conform accurately to a pattern and equal spacing of the perforations is attained. IVhile in order to connect the pipes to the top-plate of the Patented Jan. 11, 1910.

tracker-board, I employ a joint strip in which the expanded ends of the pipes are secured and which is secured directly to the bottom of the metal top-strip of the trackerboard construction.

Referring to the accompanying drawing 4and in detail, tite tracker-board .construction herein illustrated comprises the metal topplate 10 having rectangular tracker-board perforations 11 with oppositely inclined passages 12 leading thereto. These perforations are formed in the casting of the metal strip 10 and a uniform spacing of the perforations is thus secured. Fastened to the bottom of the metal top-piece 10 by means of screws 17 is a wooden joint strip 13 in which the eX- panded ends of the pipes 14 are secured. The upper face' ot' the joint strip 13 is covered with sheep-skin or felt 15 for insuring a tight joint.. The under side of the metal top-plate 10 is provided near'its edges with dove-tailed sockets for receiving the upper edges of the side panels 18A which are fas tened in place by screws 19. In a trackers board construction thus made up, the pipes are connected to the metal top-plate by a common joint which is not liable to permit irniivit'lzwl ,leakage or the breaking out of any particular pipe, while the casting of the tracker-board perforations in the metal topplate insures the accurate spacing of the tracker-hoard perforations.

I am aware that changes ma)7 be made in my tracker-board construction by those who are skilled in the artvwithoutdeparting from the scope of this invention as expressed in therefore, to the particular construction have herein shown and described, but

That I do claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is l. As an article of manufacture, :1 truckerboard comprising a single piece of castmetal having recesses or channels staggered or oft` set with respect to each other, smaller top channels for coperating with the perforations o't the music sheet located in line7 each l of said staggered channels being connected j with one o1 said top channels, all of suid channels being accurately spaced by the castthe claims. lido not Wish to be limited,}i

ing er" the metal, a joint strip connected with the bottom of the metal top piece, pipes secured in the joint strip and communicating with the staggered channels, and side pieces tting the sides of the joint strip and the 1 piece and inclosing top-piece, n. wooden joint strip connected to e the bottom of the metal top-piece, pipes having their upper ends expended to secure them inthe joint piece, :1nd side pieces supporting the metal top-piece und inclosing the pipes.

In testimon)vv whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing ufitnesses.

PETER NVELIN.

Witnesses:

EDWIN B. PEAU, HARRY M. STILWELL, 

